Nasal polyps

For a lay person:

Nasal polyps are soft, painless growths on the lining of the nose and sinuses that are not cancerous. They are linked to long-term inflammation such as chronic sinusitis, asthma and allergies, and they cause a blocked nose and loss of smell.

For a trained medical person:

A feature of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, usually type 2 eosinophilic inflammation, associated with asthma and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. Diagnosis is by nasal endoscopy, with CT for surgical planning; unilateral polyps need exclusion of tumour. Treatment is intranasal corticosteroids and saline irrigation, short courses of oral steroids, endoscopic sinus surgery, and biologics for severe recurrent disease.

In Chinese medicine:

Liu and Tseng's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Lung Qi Congestion and Stagnation; Spleen Dampness. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: See a doctor for polyps or blockage on one side only, nosebleeds, facial swelling, or eye or vision changes. People with polyps and asthma should be cautious with aspirin and anti-inflammatory painkillers.